Aya Qaziqz and her twin sister Sarah finished 21st in the FX49 class at the Tokyo Olympics
Tunisian Olympic sailing champion Aya Kozakz died at the age of 17 following she drowned while training in the waters off the capital, Tunis, on Sunday.
Kazekz was the youngest Tunisian to compete in the Tokyo Olympics last year, and competed in the women’s FX 49 class with her twin sister Sarah.
The Tunisian Olympic Committee described her death as a “tragedy on the sports scene”, and Tunisia’s Minister of Sports and Youth praised Kokziz and sent his condolences to her family.
The two new players at the time, Aya and Sarah, who were then 16 years old, came in the twenty-first and last place in Tokyo.
“I am shocked by the news of the death of the athlete, Aya Kozakz,” said Thomas Bach, president of the International Olympic Committee.
“She was an inspiring talent and role model for her generation of athletes,” he added.
He noted that “Aya Kozakz’s participation in Tokyo 2020 alongside her twin sister Sarah will continue to motivate girls everywhere. Our hearts are with her family, friends and the Olympic community in Tunisia.”
The Tunisian National Olympic Committee’s Facebook page said that the rising star, Qezkez, died while training in preparation for the upcoming regional and international competition.
The head of the committee, Mahrez Bousian, said that a boat, in which the two sisters, Aya and Sarah, were sailing, capsized in stormy weather, and added, in statements to a local radio, that the sisters’ coach was next to them in a speedboat at that time.
Reportedly, the trainer was able to help Sarah clear the tangled equipment before locating Aya, who attempted CPR on her but to no avail.
The young Olympic champion was then taken to hospital, where she was pronounced drowning.
Details surrounding the tragedy are still unclear, but some reports indicate that the accident was the result of bad weather and strong winds.
The incident shocked the Tunisian sports community and sparked anger and frustration among Tunisians, with many questioning the management and the nature of the safety equipment.
The investigation began into the incident, which occurred a few hours before the breaking of the fast on the ninth day of Ramadan.
A statement issued by the Tunisian Olympic Committee said: “May God have mercy on the deceased, grant her eternal rest in heaven, and grant her family, relatives and all members of the sports community patience and solace.”
